Kyodo News International, Inc. and its affiliates (collectively, "KYODO NEWS") recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information that may be provided to us by individual users or readers of KYODO NEWS content online. Accordingly, we have adopted a privacy policy to govern how we treat such information. This policy does not apply to information you may provide to us offline. KYODO NEWS may change this privacy policy from time to time, in its sole discretion, and any such changes will become effective when the KYODO NEWS posts the revised privacy policy online. Your continued use of this Web site indicates your consent to KYODO NEWS's privacy policy and the most current version then in effect.

WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

KYODO NEWS may collect personal information when you specifically and knowingly provide it to us, such as when you provide your personal information such as your e-mail address, name, phone number or address.

KYODO NEWS may also collect non-personal information via the use of cookies. Cookies are pieces of information that are transferred to an individual's hard drive for record-keeping purposes. Cookies are used to assist you in using site information and content by saving your user preferences. Cookies are also used to collect aggregate information about Web site users on an anonymous basis.

WHAT DOES THE KYODO NEWS DO WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT?

KYODO NEWS will use the personally identifiable information directly submitted by you solely for the purpose for which you have provided it, whether it be to subscribe to a service, request information, order a reprint of an article or photograph, etc.. We may also use the information you provide to us to contact you for reasons related to your original communication to us. Additionally, we may periodically send you promotional e-mail about existing or prospective products and services offered by KYODO NEWS, as well as to obtain information to better understand our users. We may disclose all of the information we collect about you to our affiliates who offer related goods and services.

With regard to non-personally identifiable information, KYODO NEWS may track and analyze usage and volume statistical information from our users to administer our content in order to improve our services. We may also perform statistical analysis of user behavior in order to measure interest in our online products and services for product development purposes.

This information may also be used as part of our demographic research. In this event, the research is compiled and analyzed on an aggregated basis. Individuals are not identified by name. KYODO NEWS reserves the right and may grant to third parties such right to publish non-personally identifiable, aggregate information regarding our users for promotional purposes and as a representative audience for advertisers.

KYODO NEWS will not disclose any personal information about our current or former users to anyone, except as permitted or required by law, or as described herein. KYODO NEWS will endeavor to maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect the confidentiality of the information that we collect online.

WITH WHOM DOES THE KYODO NEWS SHARE THE INFORMATION THAT IT COLLECTS?

As a general rule, KYODO NEWS will not disclose any of your personal information except under one of the following circumstances: we have your permission; we believe in good faith determines is legally required to be revealed by any relevant statute, regulation, ordinance, rule, administrative or court order, decree, or subpoena; information revealed during the course of KYODO NEWS's enforcement of the policies and procedures of the website; information that we determine must be disclosed to correct what we believe to be false or misleading information or to address activities that we believe to be manipulative, deceptive or otherwise a violation of law; where you are otherwise notified at the time we collect the data; where we need to share your information to provide the product or service you have requested; when disclosed to an affiliate of KYODO NEWS or when such disclosure is made subject to confidentiality restrictions in connection with a sale, merger, transfer, exchange, or other disposition (whether of assets, stock, or otherwise) of all or a portion of the business conducted by the web sites to which the KYODO NEWS privacy policy applies.

INTERNATIONAL USAGE

If you are located outside of the United States, please note that the information you provide to us will be transferred to the United States. By using this web site, you consent to this transfer.

HOW DOES A USER CHANGE OR UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION?

If you have any questions or concerns about the KYODO NEWS privacy policy or would like the personally identifiable information that you have provided to KYODO NEWS removed from our files, please contact KYODO NEWS at: